Reinstalling XP with CD?

[ClassicMiniChelsea]

Hello,
I need your help. I have XP Home Ed. It was preinstalled when I brought the
PC. Now XP has messed up and needs a decent reinstall but of course I dont
have a CD for XP and I am not going to pay a few hundred out out of principle
really. I personally think, regardless whether its reinstalled or not, you
should get the Windows CD in with your package.
Now, does anyone know how you can get round reinstalling XP without a CD? I
am generally computer wise anyway but this bit has stumped me.

 

[ju.c]

Ask a friend if you could borrow their disc.

Or, if your computer has the folder, "C:\i386\", you could create one.

Or, as a last resort, you could search for a Windows CD torrent and use that to do the
repair.


ju.c

 

[Bob Harris]

Whomever sold you the PC should have provided some way to fix things, if
they did not provide a real XP CD.

The most common for major-brand PCs is a restoration CD, which runs a
program like GHOST or TrueImage, and uses an image of the PC when it was
new, which is often stored on a hidden parition on the hard drive. Of
course, invoking such a restore will erase everything on the Windows C:\
drive, including all personal files and installed programs that did not come
with the PC. This does not need to be a major problem, if you have
carefully made backup copies of all personal files. Or, if the hard drive
is OK, just that XP that is messed up, use a "live" LINUX CD to copy the
files off of the PC, before doing the restoration. I recommend KNOPPIX for
this purpose, as it contains a lot of drivers and usually auto-detects all
required hardware, and its desktop is similar to XP.

If you do not have even the option to do a restore to day one, contact the
PC maker. Their support website should explain whether they shipped such a
CD, or whether they used some other process to invoke the restoration (e.g.,
a boot option). Most are willing to send a new restoration CD, possibly for
a small fee.

As for whether you deserve an XP CD or not, be aware that retail XP CDs are
about twice the price of OEM CDs or bulk licenses. Thus, you "saved" some
money on the price of the PC compared to what it would have cost, if they
included a retail XP CD. Had they included an OEM CD, you would have found
that it does not support a repair, only a clean install. In comparison a
restoration CD/partition will not only do a clean install of XP, but will
include all required driver for your original hardware, plus should include
any pre-installed programs. This is clear a case of "you get what you paid
for". Next time you buy a computer, try a small computer shop and demand a
retail CD. For a fee the PC builder will include one. Unfortunately, the
major brands do not want to bother, even the ones that claim they customize
PCs (e.g., Dell, Gateway), or worse, they do not want to even admit what
they are not providing the CD; that would raise too many questions.

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

How to Replace Lost, Broken, or Missing Microsoft Software or Hardware
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/326246/en-gb


--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows Desktop Experience -
Windows Vista Enthusiast

---------------------------------------------------------------

Hello,
I need your help. I have XP Home Ed. It was preinstalled when I brought the
PC. Now XP has messed up and needs a decent reinstall but of course I dont
have a CD for XP and I am not going to pay a few hundred out out of principle
really. I personally think, regardless whether its reinstalled or not, you
should get the Windows CD in with your package.
Now, does anyone know how you can get round reinstalling XP without a CD? I
am generally computer wise anyway but this bit has stumped me.

 

[DL]

Your PC would have been supplied with a means of restoring it to factory
condition, this could have been by use of recovery disks, or a hidden
partition. Read your documentation or visit your PC suppliers site

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Hello,
I need your help. I have XP Home Ed. It was preinstalled when I brought the
PC. Now XP has messed up and needs a decent reinstall but of course I dont
have a CD for XP and I am not going to pay a few hundred out out of principle
really. I personally think, regardless whether its reinstalled or not, you
should get the Windows CD in with your package.

And many people would agree with you. However, until consumers learn
to stop blindly accepting whatever the computer manufacturers offer, and
demand full installation CDs along with their new computers, it won't
happen.

Legally, the OEM has met it's contractual obligation to Microsoft
by providing a means of returning the PC to its ex-factory state,
whether it's a Recovery CD or a Recovery Partition. They are not
legally obliged to provide a true installation CD as part of the sale.
Reputable, customer-service aware OEMs, like Dell and Gateway, do
provide a full OEM installation CD, that does permit custom
installations and repairs. However, many uncaring OEMs, such as
eMachines, Compaq, HP, and Sony, in an effort to save pennies and reduce
their support costs by having to hire support people that need only say
"Boot from the Recovery CD to return your PC to its original condition,"
provide only a CD bearing a disk image of the hard drive as it left the
factory.

Essentially, it boils down to "You get what you pay for."

Now, does anyone know how you can get round reinstalling XP without a CD? I
am generally computer wise anyway but this bit has stumped me.

As you had an OEM installation (pre-installed at the factory) on
the computer, simply follow the manufacturer's recovery instructions in
the manuals that came with the computer (or consult the manufacturers'
web site). Remember, the OEM was contractually obligated to have
provided you with some means of restoring the computer to its original,
ex-factory state.


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:


http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375

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